It has always been you

Prologue - Dean

*** Deans POV***

She winces in pain trying to undress and I immediately run to her. I want to help her. I slowly undress her, mindful of her pain, and there's a lump in my throat as I slide down the dress that clings to her curves because of how wet she is from that river. Purple and black bruises cover almost one side of her torso, and I swear, amidst the bruising, I can see the imprints of the sole of someone's sneaker. My eyes glass over and I take a deep breath and clench my fists. I can feel the anger rising in the pit of my stomach, and  try my hardest to control my inner wolf. I'm filled with a desire to protect this girl, to take care of her. I continue undressing her, slowly. The lump in my throat rises and I almost vomit as I remove her panties and see the faint staining of blood.

I'll kill them.

I'll kill everyone.

I'll tear through that entire pack, everyone that hurt her, and everyone that didn't protect her

I've never felt rage like this

I guide her over to the warm bath I drew for her and help her in. I put in some antiseptic oil to help clean her wounds, and a few drops of an elixir I was given from a Witch from the northern territories a few years ago. In exchange for safe passage through our territories, she gave me a few healing potions, that can damn well heal a wolf from anything. She steps in the bath and I watch her for a few moments before getting her some clothes of mine for her to put on. I make a mental note to send someone out to grab her some things in the morning.

she looks exquisite in my clothing, and I scold myself for even daring to think of her in that way. She's an injured CHILD. What the f**k is wrong with me.

She follows me downstairs and the doctor is already there. She gives Savannah something for the pain and I lead her back to the room she'll be sleeping in. I remind her i'm only in the room opposite if she needs anything. There's only me and my best friends Zavier and Brad that live in the pack house, but I still put her in the room opposite me to keep an eye on her. She probably hasn't noticed, but the balcony wrapping the upper floor connects our rooms. I pull her blankets back as she slowly climbs into bed. I cover her up and whisper goodnight and leave her room. I run downstairs, hoping my parents hadn't left yet.

"Dad" I shout.

My parents both turn and look at me from the opposite end of the foyer, and I see concern in their eyes. I feel my blue eyes glaze over and I feel the lump in my throat rise again.

"It's her" I say, and my voice breaks.

"What's wrong?" my mother says sympathetically, thinking that I meant she'd taken ill or I was referring to the state she came to me in.

"She's my mate" I feel the tears stream down my face and quickly wipe them away with the back of my hand. my mum rushes forward and wraps me in an embrace. 

"Of course it is" my father muttered.

"What the f**k is that meant to mean?" I spit as my mother and I glare at him.

"You don't know who she is? She's Mikael Grayson's kid"

my mother gasps.

I'm confused.

"He was a member of this pack, and my best friend, until he met his mate and joined her pack. I was happy for them, truly, and we visited them a few times after they had their daughter. We always joked as kids that our kids would be married so we could finally be brothers. Do you remember that trip we took, a few years ago when we traveled the entire east coast?"

I nod.

"Mikael and his wife, Samantha had been killed in a car accident. I traveled the entire east coast looking for their daughter who survived. They all claimed to not know who or where she was. I was supposed to bring her here and take care of her, raise her like my own. And now look at her".

My dads eyes begin to tear-up. I don't think I've ever seen him cry.

"I don't know what to do" I say.

And it's true. I feel an overwhelming desire to take care of this girl, to protect her, to make her mine. But at 16 she's barely legal, and after everything she's been through, I don't want to traumatize her by forcing our relationship on her. 

"Does she know?" my father asks me.

"I don't think so" I reply.

I think she had been so traumatised, focused on her escape, her pain, her experiences, that she hadn't felt it.

"Give it a few days. If she's still unaware... reject her."

"What? no!" I Gasp.

"Its a small mercy. If you reject her, it gives her the space she needs, and maybe, she'll come to you. If not, prey that the Luna Gods see you fit to choose you another mate... or give you a second change"

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It was around 5am that my parents left, and I went to bed and cried myself to sleep. I know rejecting her would be the kindest thing for her. If I force her into a relationship now, she'll resent me for it... But how on earth do you look at the woman you know you are destined to be with, who was sent to you by the gods... and walk away from her?

It's around 1pm that I wake up, and when I head downstairs the maid informs me she hasn't been down. I make a large stack of pancakes and place them on a tray, alongside bottles of maple syrup, Nutella, and bowls of chopped strawberry, banana and blueberries. I realise I don't even know how she takes her coffee, or if she even likes coffee, so I grab a couple of glasses of orange juice and some bottled water and place them on the tray too and carry them upstairs.

I know what you're thinking. An alpha male doesn't cook, he expects maids and servants to take care of him. and its true. Mostly. But an alpha should also know how to take care of his mate.

I knock on her bedroom door.

"It's just me. Dean" I announce before opening the door with my elbow. She's sat up in bed, on top of the duvet reading. She smiles as I cross the room. 

"May I?" I ask raising my eyebrows towards the bed.

She scoots over and I place the breakfast tray at the side of her, and sit on the bed too, with my legs lied out, mirroring her position.

"The maids said you hadn't been down and I assumed you might be hungry. I wasn't sure what you liked" I Smile at her.

"I like pancakes" she smiles, gratefully. God she's beautiful. her dark red hair falls over her shoulders in long waves, her green eyes beaming at me. She's taken off the sweatpants I handed her, they sit on the bedroom floor, but she's still wearing the t-shirt I gave her. she tugs it further down her thighs as she looks at me. I hand her a plate and put three pancakes on it. She drizzles on maple syrup and fruit.

"No Nutella?" i ask.

she grabs a large spoon and scoops it into the Nutella then puts it straight in her mouth. I look at her quizzically. 

"I just don't like it on pancakes"

"but you'll eat it straight from the jar?"

"its the only way" 

We eat our breakfasts in comfortable silence, and when we finish, I stack the dishes and place them on the floor.

"So, have you met your 'mate' yet?" I ask, hopeful.

She shakes her head.

"No. I'm not even sure I have one"

"That's ridiculous! of course you do. Somewhere. Everyone does."

"Do you really believe that? I don't know. While my girlfriends were all sitting round discussing their dream mates and planning their wedding, I was reading Huckleberry Finn for the third time".

And in that moment, I knew what I had to do.

She could be happy here. Safe. She could live in the pack house and finish school, go to college if she wants, and we can be friends. I can take care of her as a friend would do. That wouldn't be too bad I guess.